The master suite’s rain head shower includes multiple fixtures and a body sprayer.

The master suite’s rain head shower includes multiple fixtures and a body sprayer.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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Built-in work stations anchor the office’s sitting area.

Built-in work stations anchor the office’s sitting area.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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Contemporary hardware accents this powder room illuminated by a skylight.

Contemporary hardware accents this powder room illuminated by a skylight.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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The deck overlooks the landscape and descends to the lower level.

The deck overlooks the landscape and descends to the lower level.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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Built-ins establish the office as a useful work space or media room.

Built-ins establish the office as a useful work space or media room.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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The Sonoma home includes a temperature controlled tasting room.

The Sonoma home includes a temperature controlled tasting room.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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The observatory includes a professional grade telescope and includes a one bedroom guest suite.

The observatory includes a professional grade telescope and includes a one bedroom guest suite.

Photo: Jacob Elliott

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Dramatic luxury home in Sonoma features private observatory for stargazing

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Nothing is left wanting when an architect builds their personal home. If said architect happens to also enjoy stargazing, then the result is 5340 Grove St. in Sonoma — a dramatic luxury residence punctuated by an observatory with a professional telescope. Together, the main house and guest suite/observatory offer almost 5,000 square feet of living space. The abundant use of glass and outdoor spaces off both levels ensure an airy, open ambience.

“Simply put, it is one of Sonoma’s most prized estates,” said Jim Clopton of Sotheby’s International Realty, who is listing the Wine Country home for $7.9 million.

Completed in 2006, the residence is the brainchild of San Francisco architect and founder of STUDIOS Architecture Darryl Roberson. Tucking the home well off the street in the exclusive Diamond A Ranch Estates community ensures supreme privacy. A COR-TEN steel gate stands guard in front of the meandering driveway — the metal’s deep patina and bulky design complementing the trunks of mature trees peppered across the landscape.

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Heritage oak trees create a canopy sheltering part of the journey from gate to garage. Before long, the captivating construction comes into view. The material palette — stone, timber, steel, glass and stucco — gently interacts with the landscape.

The home asserts its presence without domineering. A series of retaining walls formed from stacked stones descend the hillside and serve as an accent finish.

Hillside homes routinely embrace reverse floor plans, which place the public rooms on a level higher than the bedrooms. This approach — which is employed at 5340 Grove St. — ensures the main living area enjoys the best outlooks.

Reveal baseboards, the extensive use of natural light and plenty of outdoor accessibility grant the great room a decidedly modern aesthetic. While one side of the room features floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening to the view deck, gallery walls anchor the opposite end.

Though the great room is a continuous space, the kitchen’s location visually separates the interior. Walls on only two sides ensures the kitchen remains an open area, while floor-to-ceiling built-ins maximize the usable space.

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A placid master suite offers privacy within an already secluded locale. Secured in the far end of the upper level, the suite overlooks the observatory from its private terrace.

Meanwhile, the sleeping quarters enjoys a gas fireplace set within custom built-ins.

The placement of the observatory is particularly noteworthy. Situated more than 1,600 feet above sea level, the property hosts idyllic conditions for stargazing. Rural surroundings ensure city lights don’t obscure the stars, and the crisp air provides no shortage of clear nights.

Occasionally, the Robersons opened the home up to other amateur astronomers. One standout example was August 2014’s “Stars on the Mountain” gala, where 30 guests attended an evening party to catch glimpses of Saturn.

The observatory, naturally, served as the entertainment hub that evening. Guests marveled at glimpses of the ringed planet from a space clad in glass, stone, steel and zinc.

Some of the firm’s designs in San Francisco include the headquarters for Intuit and Neustar, as well as the Nasdaq Entreprenurial Center, the Sailors’ Union Residential tower and Foundry Square on Howard Street.

STUDIOS Architecture also designed LeConte Hall, Haas Pavillion, Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley and the campus that ultimately became known as the Googleplex.

Features: An observatory with a professional-grade telescope stands out at this luxurious estate set on roughly 20 acres in Wine Country. The picturesque listing offers vistas of Mount Diablo and San Pablo Bay from a plethora of inviting rooms and open outdoor spaces. Architect Darryl Roberson, founder of San Francisco’s STUDIOS Architecture, completed the home in 2006. Stacked stone, eaves jutting out parallel to the ground and floor-to-ceiling windows fashion the contemporary’s exterior. The rolling landscape beyond the home includes a lap pool and a guest house with observatory.